Six Centimeters of Separation
by mspolapotter
Summary: One of the rare moments when Hermione hates the fact that she's too good with casting spells.


So, I created a Spotify playlist based on Dramione playlists I've seen on Tumblr and it's worked out REALLY WELL for my writing. As proof, I am going to be posting a series of oneshots (mostly disconnected) which I'll be calling the Dramione Deathly Hallows series. Here is part 2, inspired by the song Make You Feel My Love by Adele. How long the series will be? I have no clue I'm just going to roll with it.

Part 1, _Four Words,_ was inspired by These Four Words by the Maine which is on the playlist as well. If you want a link to the playlist, shoot me a message!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

PS Please do not take the title WAY too seriously. I just wanted to come up with something clever rather than derive something from the song.

* * *

 ** _Six Centimeters of Separation_**

* * *

In one spin, chaos was replaced with deafening silence. The trio left behind a swirl of posters showing Harry's face, and were greeted with this—the smell of grass, and the cold air caressing their faces. Fallen leaves crunched beneath their feet, and a familiarity filled Hermione's chest.

It made sense that when she Apparated them on a whim, they turned up in the last place she'd visited with her parents. The Forest of Dean. The trees were spaced apart just enough that they could see at least twenty meters ahead of them. The sun shone brightly above, with a thin layer of leaves protecting them from the sunlight and (should it arrive) the rain. A perfect place to pitch camp.

Hermione was brought out of her reverie by a grunt to her left, and the sound of a huge body collapsing to the ground. It was Ron. His shoulder was bleeding and a considerable chunk of flesh was missing from it, exposing his muscles. Her stomach turned, but she set it aside and moved quickly.

"Harry, the bag!" She cried. Harry summoned the bag and the necessary potion for the injury. She grabbed her wand and chanted a healing spell, while silently saying a prayer for things to turn out okay.

Ron passed out while she was healing him, from the pain most likely. Slowly, his skin became pink again, and the wounds started to close. When his breathing became steady and consistent, Hermione and Harry sighed in relief.

"Watch him for a moment, I'm going to cast some protective spells," Hermione said. Harry nodded and grabbed his wand tightly. She walked deeper into the forest, until she was away from both Harry and Ron, and started muttering incantations.

Just as she finished the final cloaking spell, Draco Malfoy emerged from the trees, his blond hair askew and his brow ridden with worry. Hermione held her breath. He was behind enemy lines after all, and she couldn't risk exposure. Not when Ron is injured like this. She waited, but there was no more rustling. He was alone.

"Where are you?" Draco muttered to no one in particular, looking around frantically.

 _Right here,_ she told to herself. She smiled proudly at her handiwork, clearly she had performed all the spells successfully because Draco was seeing right through her. He continued to walk around in circles, coming closer and closer to the barriers of her spell, but not passing through it.

Hermione watched as he paced around like a child who had lost his favorite toy. She wanted so badly to tell him that she was right _there_. But she knew better. Both of them knew better. That's why they stayed on their respective sides.

Draco somehow knew that she was there. He could feel her presence, and he smelled a whiff of her favorite shampoo just seconds ago. She was clever enough to cast multiple cloaking spells perfectly and make them hold together. He just wished he knew _exactly_ where she was. He knew she was here mainly because when Apparated from the Manor as soon as he learned of their escape, he had no particular place in mind. There must be a reason why he was brought here, a place he'd never been before.

Hermione's heartbeat quickened each time he came too close to approaching the barrier. Half of her was glad that the spells were holding, the other half just wanted him to come closer and closer.

"Where are you," he muttered again. He had unknowingly stopped just a couple of inches from her face.

He was so close that she could smell the musk radiating from his body. She could see his clothes in great detail, and so close that if she dared move a muscle, he would surely hear the rustling of the leaves under her boots.

"I know you're here," he said. "Somewhere. I just can't pinpoint exactly where. I know that you can see me. I don't care if you are alone, or with Potter and Weasley. I don't care if they find out.

"As soon as I heard about your escape, I Apparated with no set location in mind but I was led here, and I am assuming it's because you _are_ here. The Dark Lord is on the move. Stay as far away as you can, for as long as you can. I don't want you to get hurt."

Hermione allowed herself a breath and covered her mouth immediately to prevent a sob from escaping her throat. He had risked everything he had just for this. She worried because he could get caught. He could die because of her and she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

"I'm right here," she said in the softest whisper she could muster.

Draco breathed a sigh of relief. He _heard_ it. He _felt_ her breath. He was right in front of her, and he couldn't even reach out and touch her.

"I know that you are worried right know, but I don't want you thinking about me," he said softly. "You have to focus. Now I know we made the right choice because Potter and Weasley wouldn't have gotten this far without you."

Hermione allowed herself a soft laugh. Draco chuckled with her.

"I wanted us to run away but like you said it just wouldn't work," Draco said. "If I could I would reach out and hug you and kiss you and get you as far away from here as possible. Anything just to let you know how much I love you."

Hermione chided herself for having cast the final charm mere seconds away from arrival because as much as they wanted it, they couldn't make any sort of contact. The smallest of touches would collapse all the layers of the barrier, completely exposing them. By now, Voldemort would have discovered Draco gone and sent men after him.

"I know that you do," she whispered. "I can feel it."

Draco lifted his hand and Hermione lifted hers. From Hermione's point of view, their hands were only mere centimeters away. But Draco was holding on to nothing but thin air.

"Take care of yourself. Always eat on time. Get enough sleep," he said. "But most importantly, come home, okay?"

"I promise," she replied.


End file.
